


the quiet nights you bear

by valkyriered



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shiro (Voltron)-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 18:45:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9838625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valkyriered/pseuds/valkyriered
Summary: Allura and Shiro have a talk.





	

Shiro wakes up shrieking, hands shooting out to claw at the weight holding him down. Something catches his wrists, pinning them down beside his head, and he thrashes and gags and _not again, not again_ —  
  
“Shiro.” The voice is soft and sturdy and familiar, and he finds himself pausing despite himself, reassessing. The grip on his wrists is firm, but not bruising. The weight on his lap is warm.  
  
“Get off me.” He orders, his voice rough from screaming and embarrassment. Allura nods and rolls off, but stays parked on the bed beside him.  
  
“You were shouting.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“This has to stop.” She says, her eyes dark in the dim lighting of his room. “You’re upsetting the other Paladins.”  
  
Shiro flinches at that, his hands drifting down to fist at his sheets. Her eyes flicker down, taking note of the movement, but she says nothing. She clears her throat.  
  
“They wanted to come in to help you.”  
  
“You wouldn’t let them.”  
  
“I was afraid you would hurt them.” Allura says, pressing her hands in her lap. If what she said hurt Shiro before, it was nothing compared to the pain that shot through him now. Because he’s scared of it too, but having someone else say it— having it _confirmed_ — he curls in on himself, pulling his sheets up over his shoulders, wrapping them around him like armor as he turns away from her.    
  
“Shiro.” Allura breathes, gently resting a hand on his shoulder. He tenses, pulling tighter in on himself. “Shiro, I’m not saying this to hurt you.”  
  
“I know.” He says, but his voice comes out strangled.  
  
Her thumb rubs soothingly against his blanketed shoulder. “Perhaps we should move you to another wing.” She says softly. “I know you like being near them, but—“  
  
“—I wake them up when I scream.” Shiro finishes dully.  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
“Don’t apologize.” Shiro inhales sharply. “You’re right. I should sleep somewhere else.”  
  
“Shiro…”  
  
“Princess.” He says, his voice suddenly hard and steady. “Please. Could you leave?”  
  
“Shiro, I—“  
  
“Please.” He pleads, his voice cracking a bit, his hand shifting to pull the blankets up over his head.  
  
Allura’s breath catches in her throat, withdrawing her hand when she feels his shoulder begin to shake. She wants to apologize again, but bites her tongue. There’s nothing to say that can soothe the sting of this.  
  
“Goodnight.” She murmurs, before stepping through the door. The paladins are all still crowded around it, anxiously waiting for news about their leader.  
  
“He’s fine.” She tells them. “Just a dream. Go back to sleep.”  
  
They don’t trust her, initially, but sleepiness wins over and sends them back to bed. She watches them pad back to their respective rooms, knowing that if they’d heard what she’d said to Shiro, they’d hate her. They’d argue, saying that they’re absolutely willing to be deprived of sleep for his sake, that they’d wake up a million times over to comfort him after a bad dream.  
  
They don’t know better, she tells herself. They need to be well-rested to pilot Voltron. Someone needs to make those decisions for them.  
  
It doesn’t make her feel any better when she later imagines a deserted hallway except for Shiro, screaming through his nightmares, frightened and alone.

**Author's Note:**

> haha what the FUCK amirite. cHILL ALLURA. title comes from Mitski's "I Will"
> 
> edit: I have a fandom sideblog now at: https://queenvallkyrie.tumblr.com/


End file.
